Defund Trump

President Trump has refused to divest himself of his business interests, creating clear conflicts of interest and breaking decades of practice by his predecessors. There is no official public accounting of the ways the president and his family are benefiting from the presidency - but the public record is already rich with examples of the president and his family profiting off of public service.

Last updated: July 24, 2018

Topic: Trump Businesses |
Status: Active

What We’re Seeking:

Records of expenses paid for members of President Trump’s cabinet to travel to Trump properties.

Records of reimbursements or expenses paid by 18 government agencies for events at or travel to Trump properties.

Guidance issued by federal agencies or the Office of Government Ethics relating to holding or attending events at Trump properties.

Records of any reimbursements paid by the Department of Education for expenses at hotel properties owned by Secretary DeVos’s family.

Records relating to President Trump’s lease of the taxpayer-owned Old Post Office building for the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC.

Records related to SBA McMahon speaking at a Trump hotel and her staff’s decision to crop out the event’s location on social media.

Records relating to whether or not the Department of State has been recommending Trump hotels to foreign leaders.

When Mr. Trump decided to cede operational control but not financial control of his businesses, the Office of Government Ethics described his move as “meaningless from a conflict of interest perspective.” In addition to Mr. Trump himself, members of the Trump family also appear to be benefitting directly and indirectly from the president’s public service. Indeed, Mr. Trump’s son, Eric Trump, recently claimed that the Trump “brand is the hottest it has ever been.”

American Oversight is calling for the U.S. government to turn off the spigot of public funds going to Trump businesses, cease using Trump properties and services, and issue guidance to all executive branch personnel that taxpayer dollars may not be spent at Trump properties or on purchases from businesses in which the First Family has a financial interest. If Mr. Trump and his family cannot be persuaded to stop accepting public funds for private gain, the government can ensure taxpayer funds are no longer available.

American Oversight is also asking for federal, Florida and New York State law enforcement officials and prosecutors to investigate whether domestic and foreign interests have used Trump properties, including the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, and the Trump National Doral as conduits to bribe the Trump administration to pursue favorable policies and award contracts.

It is important for the president’s actions to be investigated, catalogued and publicized. American Oversight will be doing its part to ensure the American people are aware of the extent to which Mr. Trump is using the presidency for his and his family’s personal financial benefit.